Ganesha Chaturthi 2023: Date, Muhurat, and Puja Ritual
Ganesha Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals celebrated with loads of fanfare, delicious cuisine, and excitement in India. It’s believed that the ones who pray to Lord Ganesha get rid of their bad deeds, and propels them to pursue knowledge and wisdom.
The festival is celebrated yearly for ten days across the nation. During this festival, the idol of Lord Ganesha is worshipped by following all the rituals. For instance, devotees wake up early, bathe with Gangaajal and observe fast while revering Lord Ganesha the entire day.
The duration of the Ganesha Chaturthi festival may vary from one and half day to five days, seven days, or even ten days and the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in the rivers after the festival is over. Ganesha Chaturthi is also famously known as Vinayaka Chaturthi. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiva (Shiva is the Supreme Being who creates, protects, and transforms the universe) and Goddess Parvati (Goddess of divine strength and power). Lord Ganesha is the symbol of knowledge, prosperity, and luck. The festival begins on the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhadra which generally falls in the Gregorian months of August or September.
Lord Ganesha is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon of gods and is also very popular outside India. Lord Ganesha (also known as Ganesa, Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar) is known as the Lord of good Luck who blesses with prosperity, fortune, and success. Lord Ganesh is the elder son of Lord Shiva who removes the obstacles from the life of His followers.
Lord Ganesha is also known as Vinayak (knowledgeable) or Vighneshwer (removes obstructions). He is worshipped prior to any other festivals to get blessings and success. Lord Ganesha has an elephant’s head, four hands, and a big belly. The vehicle of Lord Ganesha is a mouse. He holds a rope (to take devotees to the truth), an Axe (to release devotees from attachments), and a Laddoo (to reward devotees for their spirituality). He blesses His devotees with His fourth hand. His elephant head and the mouse indicate wisdom, intelligence, and understanding. Lord Ganesha has 108 names, and He is known as the Lord of arts, sciences, and wisdom.
There are two popular stories regarding Lord Ganesha’s birthday, one is that Goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesha from the dirt of her body while taking a bath and Lord Shiva unaware of this incident, detached the head of Lord Ganesha from His body, due to anger after an argument with Him. When Goddess Parvati came back after bath and she was shocked and angry, then Lord Shiva promised her to bring back the life of Lord Ganesha.
The devas in search of a dead man’s head, could find only the head of an elephant. Lord Shiva brought back Lord Ganesha’s life by fitting the elephant’s head on Him. There is also a belief that Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati created Lord Ganesh to create obstacles for the evil purpose of rakshasas (demons), and as a vighnahartaa (obstacles remover) who removes obstacles from the devotees.
Ganesha Chaturthi Dates, Time, Tithi, Muhurat
| Year | Date | Tithi Begins | Tithi Ends | Puja Muhurat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tuesday – 19 Sept | 12:39 PM on Sep 18 | 01:43 PM on Sep 19 | 11:01 AM to 01:28 PM |
| 2024 | Saturday – 7 Sept | 03:01 PM on Sep 6 | 05:37 PM on Sep 07 | 11:03 AM to 01:34 PM |
| 2025 | Wednesday – 27 Aug | 01:54 PM on Aug 26 | 03:44 PM on Aug 27 | 11:05 AM to 01:40 PM |
| 2026 | Monday – 14 Sept | 07:06 AM on Sep 14 | 07:44 AM on Sep 15 | 11:02 AM to 01:31 PM |
| 2027 | Saturday – 4 Sept | 02:18 PM on Sep 03 | 12:25 PM on Sep 04 | 11:04 AM to 12:25 PM |
| 2028 | Wednesday – 23 Aug | 05:09 AM on Aug 23 | 01:55 PM on Aug 24 | 11:06 AM to 01:41 PM |
Ganesha Chaturthi Puja Rituals
Before the day of Ganesha Chaturthi,
- Devotees clean their houses, mainly where the idol is to be placed, to create purity in the environment.
- Besides this, devotees also shop for traditional Indian clothing and Puja items.
- Afterwards, Ganesha idols are brought, with the face covered with a saffron cloth. While bringing the idol, mantras are chanted, and cymbals are played.
On the first day, Ganesha Sthapana (installation) is performed in the evening. The idol is placed in the area of worship on a raised platform. All devotees gather near the place of worship, and the priest performs a ritual; it is believed that this ritual infuses the idol with life. After these, the Ganesh Chaturthi puja starts at the auspicious time; after drinking holy water, the devotees perform pranayama and pray with devotion to Lord Ganesha and other Gods & Godesses with all 16 rituals (Shodashopachara puja). An Aarti is performed, and mantras are chanted with cymbals, bells, and clappings.
Modak and flowers are offered to Lord Ganesha. Modak is a sweet made out of dough of rice flour or maida mixed with khava, where a filling made of grated coconut and jaggery is inserted and flowers are offered to Lord Ganesha. After the Puja rituals are over on the first day, the food which was offered to Lord Ganesha is distributed among the devotees as a Prasad. Similarly, Lord Ganesha is worshiped for ten days with chanting devotional songs, offering sweets, flowers and lamps. The festival ends on the tenth day.
The idol of Lord Ganesha is carried to immerse in the water by chanting “Ganapati Bappa Morya” and then immersed in the water.
Benefits of worshiping Lord Ganesha
There are various benefits of worshiping Lord Ganesha.
- Lord Ganesha is worshipped before any festival or ceremony or a new task to overcome all obstacles.
- Lord Ganesha is worshiped to achieve the spiritual depth. Siddivinayak idol is worshiped for attaining the spiritual depth. The trunk of the idol twisted towards right side which indicates Siddivinayak idol.
- Lord Ganesha is worshiped to attain knowledge and intelligence. The elephant head of Lord Ganesha indicates intelligence.
- Lord Ganesh is worshiped to attain magnificence and wealth in life.
- By worshiping Lord Ganesh one can achieve perfection of life by removing arrogance, controlling emotions, and destroying the ego.
- The trunk of Lord Ganesha depicts “Om” which is the cosmic energy of the universe.
Conclusion
Festivals are like stress busters that help one to balance their emotions, and Ganesh Chaturthi is the perfect epitome of this phrase. Besides the feasting and energy that this festival bleeds, it’s crucial that you perform the rituals under the guidance of proficient pandits who are well-versed in the Vedic Rituals.
Our team of Qualified, Knowledgeable, and Experienced Pandits perform Pujas as per your community, language, and region specifications. We take care of the entire process, right from booking and assigning the right Pandit, with the best Muhurat, Puja Items, Puja Samagri, Flowers, etc. All you need to do is to book the service, sit back, and relax while we work on ensuring that you get a satisfying and divine Puja experience.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Ganesha Chaturthi
Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of the Bhadrapada month, which is the sixth month of the Hindu Calendar and ends on the 14th day of Anant Chaturdashi.
The reason why it’s celebrated among the Hindu community is because Lord Ganesha, also called Vighnaharta, blesses one with wisdom & wealth and vacates all obstacles.
– Begin with cleaning and sweeping your house.
– Bath with Ganga Jal and bring the idol of Lord Ganesh.
– Prepare the mandap and prasad.
– Invite family, friends, or relatives and begin with Ganesh Chaturthi Puja.
Puran poli, modak, shrikhand, patholi, and karanji are some of the traditional foods served among devotees during Ganesh Chaturthi.
– Speaking of significance, one day, Mata Parvati told their sons to take three rounds of the world, and the one who wins will receive the modak.
– While his brother left, Lord Ganesha stayed back and took three rounds of their parents which impressed them and this way; he was given modak.
This ritual is performed to signify the birth cycle of Lord Ganesha.
Religious texts say that if someone looks at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi may get Mithiya Dosha. It’s a curse that incriminates a person to steal something.
– In Mumbai, the pandals are decorated across the streets, and the city gets packed with vibrant colours.
– In Delhi, you’ll listen to the chants of mantras by Pandit from Upanishads and Vedas. In short, you’ll witness a glimpse of traditional and cultural rituals.
– In Goa, you’ll witness great pomp and show at Marcel and Mapusa, where Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated widely.
